Malkins Bank Primitive Methodist chapel

Betchton Road, Malkins Bank CW11 4XN

By Christopher Hill

The Primitive Methodist magazine of December 1857 contains an account by John Graham of the opening of Malkins Bank Primitive Methodist chapel in the Sandbach circuit. Malkins Bank is described as a small village where the population was mainly employed in the salt works and boating on the canal.

Malkins Bank was first missioned in 1844 and the society met in a small house, then a small room (costing £2 a year). It was the only place of worship in the village. In 1857 a plot of land was made available by J Blackwell and C Dickinson aand the foundation stone was laid on May 30th 1857 by C Dickinson and R Dutton. 400 sat down to tea.

The new chapel is 30' long, 24' wide and 14' high, with a school room at one end. The whole of the floor is boarded except for the aisle. The total cost was £155 of which £85/10/0 had been raised.

The opening services started on September 13th 1857 by W Pearson of Moor-lane Cottage, Brierley Hill. Thomas Bateman of Chorley preached the following Sunday.

The chapel was closed in 1969 and subsequently sold. There is no evidence of it on Google Street View in 2016. The large salt works has also disappeared.